Cheetham: Botanical Problems at Austwick. 247 
more stunted, but healthy. On examination the soil is found 
to be free from lime, although the plants are in direct contact 
with the limestone rock in many cases. 
The hill contour is one of alternate level areas and small 
screes; it is on the former that the Calluna grows. Dr. 
Rayner has ably dealt with the problems of Calluna and 
Chalk in papers in The New Phytologist, Vol. XIII... p. 59, and 
also The Annals of Botany, Vol. XXIX., No. 113. 
(b) Silene maritima has been known in this station for a 
long time, and it has been suggested quite seriously that it is a 
remnant of a time when the sea washed these cliffs and slopes. 
This is one of a group of plants, including the well-known 
examples of Sea Thrift and Sea Plantain, which are found on 
sea shores and high mountains, and the question of the escarp- 
ment being at any time a sea cliff with the present types of 
marine plants is scarcely worth consideration. Still, the 
problem of this small group of plants is a fascinating one. 
(c) An investigation of the cause of the varying flora of 
the different pools seems to promise some interesting features. 
A casual walk round shows that some pools are practically 
pure Sphagnum, others Harpiod Hypna or aquatic hepatic ; 
and lastly, pools with plants as Pondweed or Floating Burweed. 
Sphagnum is well-known to be soon destroyed by alkaline 
conditions, and this suggests a line of enquiry. Preliminary 
trials show that the pools with the Sphagnum are the most 
acid, though the results are not very decisive as yet ; the water 
in all is very soft. 
Where a cut has been made between a Sphagnum and a 
Hypnum pool the latter seems at first to become covered with 
algal growth (Gdogonium). The Sphagnum also gets a 
foothold and seems to oust the true moss or hepatic. 
This rather disposes of a view at first taken that possibly 
the moss or hepatic pools were cut down through the peat 
to the old lake bed which may be of a marly nature, with shell 
remains, and which would neutralize the acidity required by 
the Sphagnum. An able resume of the question of the acidity 
of Sphagnum and its relation to Chalk, by M. Skene, will be 
found in The Annals of Botany, Vol. XXIX., No. 113. 
With these problems the botanical section will find plenty 
of scope for discussion and work at Austwick, particulars of 
which will be found on the inside of the cover. 


-O:; 
The Journal of the Quekett Microscopical Club, No. 78, contains the 
following papers:—‘On the Formation of Sporangia in the Genus 
Stemonitis,’ by A. E. Hilton; ‘On a Species of Aleuvodes,’ by James 
Burton ; ‘ Fhe Collection and Preservation of Desmids,’ by G. T. Harris ; 
“Presidential Address—Some Factors of Evolution in Sponges,’ by 
Arthur Dendy; and ‘On the Bdelloid Rotifera of South Africa,’ by W. 
Milne. 
1916 Aug. 1. 
